Multi-panel display device, blank, and method of forming the device

ABSTRACT

A multi-panel display device having a center panel positioned between a first side panel and a second side panel and a header panel and a blank for a multi-panel display device. In one aspect, the invention can be a blank for a multi-panel display device comprising: a center panel; a first side panel attached to the center panel along a first pre-weakened line; a second side panel attached to the center panel along a second pre-weakened line; and a header panel detachably coupled to the second side panel along a third pre-weakened line.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/573,044, filed Dec. 17, 2014, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/769,706, filed Feb. 18, 2013, which:(1) is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Design application Ser. No.29/413,658 (now U.S. Pat. No. D706,872), filed Feb. 17, 2012, and (2)claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.61/600,152, filed Feb. 17, 2012, the entireties of which are herebyincorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a multi-panel display device,blank, and method of forming the device, and specifically to amulti-panel display device formed from a blank having an integral headerpanel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Multi-panel displays are used to display and present a variety ofinformation, such as business information, advertising information andeducational information. Furthermore, multi-panel displays are commonlyused by students to present information at science fairs and otherpresentation forums. Recently, header panels have been developed forattaching to the multi-panel displays. These header panels are separatefrom the multi-panel displays and can be displayed alongside themulti-panel displays or attached to the multi-panel displays. The headerpanels typically serve as a location on which a user may place apresentation title. However, presenters often forget to use the headerpanels. Thus, a need exists for a multi-panel display having anintegrated header panel. Additionally, typical multi-panel displays areundesirable from a merchandizing and storage perspective because theside panels want to bias into an open position. Furthermore, multi-paneldisplays have numerous abrupt corners that are often damaged duringstorage. Thus, a need exists for a multi-panel display that enhances theability of the multi-panel display to remain in a closed and undamagedposition until use is desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves these and other needs by providing amulti-panel display, a blank from which the multi-panel display isformed, and a method of forming the multi-panel display. The blankcomprises a center panel, a first side panel attached to the centerpanel and a second side panel attached to the center panel. A thirdpanel is detachably coupled to the second side panel. The third panelcomprises a header panel and an adhesive panel.

In one aspect, the invention can be a blank for a multi-panel fold-outdisplay device comprising: a center panel; a first side panel attachedto the center panel along a first pre-weakened line; a second side panelattached to the center panel along a second pre-weakened line; and athird panel comprising a header panel and an adhesive panel, the thirdpanel detachably coupled to the second side panel along a thirdpre-weakened line.

In another aspect, the invention can be a multi-panel display devicecomprising: a sheet of material comprising a center panel, a first sidepanel attached to the center panel along a first pre-weakened line, asecond side panel attached to the center panel along a secondpre-weakened line, and a third panel comprising a header panel and anadhesive panel, the third panel detachably coupled to the second sidepanel along a third pre-weakened line, and the header panel detachablycoupled to the adhesive panel along a fourth pre-weakened line; thesheet of material alterable between: (1) a folded state in which: (A)the first side panel is folded over the center panel about the firstpre-weakened line; and (B) the second side panel is folded over thecenter panel about the second pre-weakened line so that the third paneloverlies a rear surface of the first side panel and an adhesive surfaceof the adhesive panel adheres the third panel to the first side panel tomaintain the sheet of material in the folded state; and (2) an unfoldedstate in which: (A) the third panel is broken away from the second sidepanel along the third pre-weakened line; and (B) the header panel isbroken away from the adhesive panel along the fourth pre-weakened line,the adhesive panel remaining adhered to the rear surface of the firstside panel.

In a further aspect, the invention can be a method of forming amulti-panel display device comprising providing a sheet of materialcomprising a center panel, a first side panel attached to the centerpanel along a first pre-weakened line, a second side panel attached tothe center panel along a second pre-weakened line, and a third panelcomprising a header panel and an adhesive panel, the third paneldetachably coupled to the second side panel along a third pre-weakenedline, and the header panel detachably coupled to the adhesive panelalong a fourth pre-weakened line, the first side panel folded over thecenter panel about the first pre-weakened line and the second side panelfolded over the center panel about the second pre-weakened line so thatthe third panel overlies a rear surface of the first side panel and anadhesive surface of the adhesive panel adheres the third panel to thefirst side panel; tearing along the third pre-weakened area to break thethird panel away from the second side panel; tearing along the fourthpre-weakened area to break the header panel away from the adhesive panelthereby separating the header panel from the sheet of material, theadhesive panel remaining adhered to the rear surface of the first sidepanel; and positioning the header panel atop the first and second sidepanels so as to extend upward from top edges of the first and secondside panels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a blank for a multi-panel display according toa first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view a multi-panel display in a foldedstate, wherein the multi-panel display is formed from the blank of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the multi-panel display formedfrom the blank of FIG. 1, wherein the multi-panel display is in apartially assembled state; and

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the multi-panel display formedfrom the blank of FIG. 1, wherein the multi-panel display is in a fullyassembled state.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a blank for a multi-panel display according toa second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view a multi-panel display in a foldedstate, wherein the multi-panel display is formed from the blank of FIG.6;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of the multi-panel display formedfrom the blank of FIG. 6, wherein the multi-panel display is in apartially assembled state; and

FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of the multi-panel display formedfrom the blank of FIG. 6, wherein the multi-panel display is in a fullyassembled state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merelyexemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention,its application, or uses.

The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles ofthe present invention is intended to be read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entirewritten description. In the description of embodiments of the inventiondisclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merelyintended for convenience of description and is not intended in any wayto limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as“lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,”“down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g.,“horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed torefer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawingunder discussion. These relative terms are for convenience ofdescription only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed oroperated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated assuch. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,”“interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structuresare secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectlythrough intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigidattachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated byreference to the exemplified embodiments. Accordingly, the inventionexpressly should not be limited to such exemplary embodimentsillustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that mayexist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of theinvention being defined by the claims appended hereto.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a blank 100 for a multi-panel display isillustrated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.The blank 100 generally comprises a center panel 110, a first side panel120, a second side panel 130 and a third panel 160. The third panel 160comprises an adhesive panel 140 and a header panel 150. In certainembodiments the blank 100 is formed as a single, integral structure by adie cut technique. Thus, by a single die cut, the entire blank 100comprising each of the center panel 110, the first side panel 120, thesecond side panel 130 and the third panel 160 can be integrally formedas a single sheet of material. Of course, the invention is not to be solimited in all embodiments and in other embodiments techniques otherthan the die cut technique can be used to create the blank 100 as asingle integral structure or as a single sheet of material.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a front surface 118 of the center panel 110, afront surface 128 of the first side panel 120, a front surface 138 ofthe second side panel 130, a front surface 148 of the adhesive panel 140and a front surface 158 of the header panel 150 are exposed to view. Inthe exemplified embodiment, each of the front surfaces 118, 128, 138,148, 158 are white (or any other color) and they form the displaysurface of the multi-panel display formed from the blank 100 asdiscussed below. In the exemplified embodiment, the rear surfaces of thepanels 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 (not illustrated in FIG. 1) are notintended to be the display surface and can therefore be any color. Forexample, in certain embodiments the rear surfaces of the panels 110,120, 130, 140, 150 are formed of a brown craft paper and the frontsurfaces 118, 128, 138, 148, 158 of the panels 110, 120, 130, 140, 150are formed of a white flat linerboard. However, the invention is not tobe specifically limited by the colors of the front and rear surfaces ofthe panels 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 in all embodiments.

In certain embodiments, the blank 100 is formed from a corrugatedfiberboard material. For example, the blank 100 may be a double-walledconstruction including a fluted corrugated sheet and one or two flatlinerboards forming the front and rear surfaces. The sizes of thecorrugated fiberboard can be a BC-flute, a C-flute, a D-flute, anE-flute or the like. However, the invention is not to be so limited andthe blank 100 can be formed from foam, cardboard, heavy-duty paper,binder's board, card stock, display board, paperboard, or the like inother embodiments. The blank 100 is intended to be used as a multi-paneldisplay board, such as a tri-fold display board, for presentinginformation or school/work projects. Specifically, as discussed in moredetail below the blank 100 can be altered into a multi-panel displayboard and the front surface thereof can be used as a display surfacesuch that a user can write, draw, paint or otherwise create materialonto the display surface such as by gluing magazine cutouts thereon orthe like. Multi-panel display boards of this type are known to be usedin science fairs, for school projects, or other occasions when it isdesired to present information to a viewing public.

Each of the first side panel 120, the center panel 110 and the secondside panel 130 has four distinct corners. Furthermore, the adhesivepanel 140 has two corners and the header panel 150 has two corners. Eachof the corners of the first side panel 120, the center panel 110, thesecond side panel 130, the adhesive panel 140 and the header panel 150are rounded. Rounding the corners of the panels reduces the likelihoodthat the corners will become bent or otherwise damaged during storageand/or use of the blank 100 as a multi-panel display. Thus, rounding thecorners of each of the panels improves the shelf life of the blank 100while also adding a superior design aesthetic.

The center panel 110 is positioned between the first side panel 120 andthe second side panel 130. Specifically, the center panel 110 has afirst edge 112 and a second edge 113, the first side panel 120 has afirst free edge 122 and a second edge 123, the second side panel 130 hasa first edge 132 and a second edge 133, and the third panel 160 has afirst edge 162 and a second free edge 163. In the exemplifiedembodiment, the first edge 162 of the third panel 160 forms the firstedge of the adhesive panel 140, the adhesive panel 140 also having asecond edge 143. Furthermore, in the exemplified embodiment the secondfree edge 163 of the third panel 160 forms a second edge of the headerpanel 150, the header panel 150 also having a first edge 152.

The first edge 112 of the center panel 110 is attached to the secondedge 123 of the first side panel 120 along a first pre-weakened line121. Similarly, the second edge 113 of the center panel 110 is attachedto the first edge 132 of the second side panel 130 along a secondpre-weakened line 131. Furthermore, the first edge 162 of the thirdpanel 160 is detachably coupled to the second edge 133 of the secondside panel 130 along a third pre-weakened line 141. The second edge 143of the adhesive panel 140 is detachably coupled to the first edge 152 ofthe header panel 150 along a fourth pre-weakened line 151. Although thethird panel 160 is described herein as being detachably coupled to thesecond side panel 130 and the header panel 150 is described as beingdetachably coupled to the adhesive panel 140, each of these panels isformed together on a single sheet during formation of the blank 100. Thepanels are detached from one another, as will be described in moredetail below, when the blank 100 is used to form a multi-panel displaydevice. In the exemplified embodiment, the first, second, third andfourth pre-weakened lines 121, 131, 141, 151 are substantially parallelto one another.

Each of the first and second pre-weakened lines 121, 131 can be a foldline, such as a depression or indentation formed into the front surfaceof the blank 100 that facilitates folding of the blank 100 about thefirst and second pre-weakened lines 121, 131. Specifically, the firstpre-weakened line 121 facilitates rotating the first side panel 120relative to the center panel 110 and the second pre-weakened line 131facilitates rotating the second side panel 130 relative to the centerpanel 110. Thus, each of the first and second pre-weakened lines 121,131 can be formed by a pre-folded line or a crease line formed into theblank 100. The techniques for forming the first and second pre-weakenedlines 121, 131 are not limiting of the present invention in allembodiments but rather include any pre-formed line in the blank 100 thatfacilitates folding the blank 100 about the line.

In the embodiment exemplified in FIG. 1, the second side panel 130 isconnected to the adhesive panel 140 and the adhesive panel 140 isconnected to the header panel 150. Thus, the adhesive panel 140 ispositioned in between the second side panel 130 and the header panel150. The second side panel 130 is connected to the adhesive panel 140 bythe third pre-weakened line 141 and the adhesive panel 140 is connectedto the header panel 150 by the fourth pre-weakened line 151.

The fourth pre-weakened line 151 is a line formed into the blank 100that facilitates separating the header panel 150 from the adhesive panel140 and the third pre-weakened line 141 is a line formed into the blank100 that facilitates separating the adhesive panel 140 from the secondside panel 130. Thus, the third and fourth pre-weakened lines 141, 151may be referred to herein as perforation lines or score lines thatfacilitate tearing of the blank 100 along those lines for separation ofthe two panels on opposing sides of the line. In certain embodiments,the third and fourth pre-weakened lines 141, 151 can be formed by aplurality of small holes that are formed through the blank 100 in a lineto facilitate tearing the blank 100 at the location of the third andfourth pre-weakened lines 141, 151. Thus, in certain embodiments thethird and fourth pre-weakened lines 141, 151 can be consideredperforation lines. Of course, the invention is not to be so limited andthe third and fourth pre-weakened lines 141, 151 can be formed by othertechniques such as, for example without limitation, a deep depression inthe blank 100. The third and fourth pre-weakened lines 141, 151 areconfigured so that the third panel 160 can be easily broken away orseparated from the second side panel 120 and so that the header panel150 can be easily broken away or separated from the adhesive panel 140.

It should be appreciated that in certain embodiments the first andsecond pre-weakened lines 121, 131 are different than the third andfourth pre-weakened lines 141, 151 in that the panels on opposing sidesof the first and second pre-weakened lines 121, 131 are not easilyseparated or broken away from each other without using a cutting toolsuch as scissors, a blade, a knife or the like whereas the panels onopposing sides of the third and fourth pre-weakened lines are easilyseparated or broken away from each other without the use of a cuttingtool. Specifically, the first and second pre-weakened lines 121, 131 aredifferent than the third and fourth pre-weakened lines 141, 151 becauseif the sheet of material is torn at the first or second pre-weakenedlines 121, 131 without using a cutting tool, the tear will be uneven andrugged, whereas tearing at the third or fourth pre-weakened lines 141,151 creates a smooth, even tear of the sheet of material along that lineeven without the use of a cutting tool.

In certain embodiments whereby the blank 100 is formed from a corrugatedfiberboard, the blank 100 has a thickness of between 1/16 inch and 3/16inch, and more preferably approximately ⅛ inch. Of course, the inventionis not to be so limited and the thickness of the blank 100 may beoutside of that range depending on the type of material used to createthe blank 100. Furthermore, the blank 100 has a height H extending froma bottom edge 101 of the blank 100 to a top edge 102 of the blank 100that is between 30-40 inches, and more preferably approximately 35½inches. Each of the panels has the same height, and thus the height Happlies to the blank 100 as a whole or to each panel individually. Ofcourse, heights outside of the above-recited range can be used incertain other embodiments where it is desirable to have a larger orsmaller multi-panel display. Thus, the height of the blank 100 is not tobe limiting of the present invention unless specifically claimed.

The first side panel 120 has a width W₁ extending from the first freeedge 122 of the first side panel 120 to the second edge 123 of the firstside panel 120. In the exemplified embodiment, the width W₁ of the firstside panel 120 is between 9-12 inches, more preferably between 10½-11inches, and still more preferably approximately 10⅞ inches. The centerpanel 110 has a width W_(C) extending from the first edge 112 of thecenter panel 110 to the second edge 113 of the center panel 110. In theexemplified embodiment, the width W_(C) of the center panel 110 isbetween 18-24 inches, and more preferably approximately 22 inches. Thesecond side panel 130 has a width W₂ extending from the first edge 132of the second side panel 130 to the second edge 133 of the second sidepanel 130. In the exemplified embodiment, the width W₂ of the secondside panel 130 is between 9-12 inches, more preferably between 10½-11inches, and still more preferably approximately 10⅞ inches. In theexemplified embodiment, the width W₁ of the first side panel 120 issubstantially equal to the width W₂ of the second side panel 130.However, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments andthe width W₁ of the first side panel 120 may be different than the widthW₂ of the second side panel 130 in certain other embodiments.

The adhesive panel 140 has a width W_(A) extending from the first edge162 of the third panel 160 to the second edge 143 of the adhesive panel140. The width W_(A) of the adhesive panel 140 is between 1-2 inches,and more preferably approximately 1¾ inches. The header panel 150 has awidth W_(H) extending from the first edge 152 of the header panel 150 tothe second free edge 163 of the third panel 160. The width W_(H) of theheader panel 150 is between 6-10 inches, more preferably between 7-9inches, and still more preferably approximately 8 inches.

Thus, in the exemplified embodiment, the width W_(C) and height H of thecenter panel 110 is approximately 22×35½ inches, respectively. However,in other embodiments the width W_(C) and height H of the center panel110 can be approximately 22×28 inches, 11×14 inches, or any otherdesired dimensions. Furthermore, the widths W₁, W₂, W_(H), W_(A) of thefirst panel 120, the second panel 130, the header panel 150 and theadhesive panel 140 are modified accordingly. Specifically, if thedimensions of the center panel 110 are 11×15 inches, then the widths ofthe first and second panels 120, 130 will be approximately 5½ incheseach, and the combined width of the adhesive panel 140 and the headerpanel 150 (i.e., the width of the third panel 160) will also beapproximately 5½ inches, although the width of the third panel 160 canbe smaller if desired. The invention is not to be particularly limitedby the dimensions, widths, lengths and heights of the various panelsunless specified in the claims.

In the exemplified embodiment, the height H is greater than the widthW_(C) of the center panel 110. Furthermore, in the exemplifiedembodiment the width W₂ of the second side panel 120 is greater than orequal to the width W_(C) of the center panel 110 minus the width W₁ ofthe first side panel 120 (i.e., W₂≧W_(C)−W₁). As will be betterunderstood from the description below, this ensures that the adhesivepanel 140 does not contact any portion of the front surface 118 of thecenter panel 110 when the blank 100 is used to form a multi-paneldisplay in a folded state, and instead the adhesive panel 140 adheres tothe rear surface of the first side panel 120 when in the folded state.

Furthermore, similar to the discussion of the height H of the blank 100above, it should be understood that the widths of the various panels canalso be outside of the ranges described herein. The ranges describedherein are intended as a description of one preferred embodiment of thepresent invention. However, it is desirable that as the widths of thevarious panels change, the ratios between the widths of the variouspanels remains consistent. For example, in the exemplified embodimentthe ratio between the width W_(C) of the center panel 110 and the widthW₁ of the first side panel 120 is approximately 2:1. In certainembodiments, this ratio is maintained regardless of the particularwidths used. In certain embodiments, the width W_(A) of the adhesivepanel 140 and the width W_(H) of the header panel 150 can be larger orsmaller than that described herein and the ratios of the widths W_(A) ofthe adhesive panel 140 and the width W_(H) of the header panel 150relative to the first side panel 120, the center panel 110 and thesecond side panel 130 can also change. Thus, in certain embodiments itis only desirable that the ratio of the widths of the first side panel120, the second side panel 130 and the center panel 110 remainconsistent with that which is disclosed herein and that the equationW₂≧W_(C)−W₁ remains satisfied.

The header panel 150 comprises a first slot 155 and a second slot 156.In the exemplified embodiment, each of the first and second slots 155,156 have the same width and length. Specifically, the first and secondslots 155, 156 have a width W_(S) that is approximately equal to thethickness of the blank 100, if not slightly larger, so as to facilitatedetachably coupling the header panel 150 to the multi-panel displayformed from the blank 100 as will be described in more detail below.Thus, in certain embodiments the width W_(S) of the first and secondslots 155, 156 is between 1/16 inch and 3/16 inch, and more preferablyapproximately ⅛ inch.

The first slot 155 has a length L_(S) measured from the first edge 152of the header panel 150 to a terminal end 157 of the first slot 155 andthe second slot 156 has a length L_(S) measured from the first edge 152of the header panel 150 to a terminal end 158 of the second slot 156.The length L_(S) of the slots 155, 156 is less than the width W_(H) ofthe header panel 150. In the exemplified embodiment, the length L_(S) ofthe slots 155, 156 is between 25% and 30% of the width W_(H) of theheader panel 150. Thus, the length L_(S) of the slots 155, 156 isbetween approximately 1.5-3.0 inches, and more preferably between2.0-2.4 inches. Furthermore, the first and second slots 155, 156 arespaced from one another along the length of the header panel 150 by adistance D. The distance D between the first and second slots 155, 156is preferably between 22 and 28 inches, and more preferablyapproximately 25 inches. The distance D facilitates utilizing the headerto display the multi-panel display in a desirable orientation with theleft and second side panels 120, 130 at an optimal angle relative to thecenter panel 110. In certain embodiments, the distance D between thefirst and second slots 155, 156 is greater than the width W_(C) of thecenter panel 110.

The front surface 148 of the adhesive panel 140 is at least partiallycoated with an adhesive material 145 to facilitate maintaining the blank100 in a closed state when such is desired, such as during storage orsale of the blank 100. The adhesive material 145 can be any type of glueor other material in a liquid, semi-liquid or even solid state thatadheres or bonds items together. Furthermore, the adhesive material 145may be a double-sided tape, stickers, glue tabs or any other type oftacky substance that is adhered to the adhesive panel 140. In theexemplified embodiment, the adhesive material 145 coats or otherwisecovers the entire front surface of the adhesive panel 140. However, theinvention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and in certainother embodiments the adhesive material 145 may be sparsely positionedon the adhesive panel 140, such as by putting the adhesive material onthe top and bottom of the adhesive panel 140 or around the periphery ofthe adhesive panel 140. Thus, the adhesive material 145 may either coverthe entirety of the front surface 148 of the adhesive panel 140 orportions thereof.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 concurrently, the blank 100 isillustrated as a multi-panel display device 200 in a folded state. Aswill be better understood from the discussion below, the multi-paneldisplay device 200 is alterable between the folded state as illustratedin FIGS. 2 and 3 and an unfolded state as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5.Altering of the multi-panel display device 200 between the folded andunfolded states will be discussed below.

To convert the blank 100 into the multi-panel display 200 in the foldedstate illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, first the first side panel 120 isfolded over the center panel 110 about the first pre-weakened line 121.Upon folding the first side panel 120 over the center panel 110 aboutthe first pre-weakened line 121, the front surface 128 of the first sidepanel 120 lies adjacent to and faces the front surface 118 of the centerpanel 110. In certain embodiments, the front surface 128 of the firstside panel 120 may be in surface contact with the front surface 118 ofthe center panel 110. Next, the second side panel 130 is folded over thecenter panel 110 about the second pre-weakened line 131. Upon foldingthe second side panel 130 over the center panel 110 about the secondpre-weakened line 131, the front surface 138 of the second side panel130 lies adjacent the front surface 118 of the center panel 110. Incertain embodiments, the first side panel 120 may extend across thecenter panel 110 so as to be positioned in between at least a portion ofthe second side panel 130 and the center panel 110 when the second sidepanel 130 is folded about the second pre-weakened line 131 as discussedabove. However, for purposes of the present invention the second sidepanel 130 is still considered to be overlying the center panel 110 orfolded over the center panel 110.

In the exemplified embodiment, the widths W₁, W₂ of each of the firstand second side panels 120, 130 is equal to approximately one-half ofthe width W_(C) of the center panel 110. Thus, upon folding the secondside panel 130 over the center panel 110 about the second pre-weakenedline 131, the third panel 160 overlies a rear surface 129 of the firstside panel 120 so that the adhesive front surface 148 of the adhesivepanel 140 adheres the third panel 160 to the rear surface 129 of thefirst side panel 120. Specifically, the adhesive panel 140 overlaps ontothe rear surface 129 of the first side panel 120 so that the frontsurface 148 of the adhesive panel 140 is in surface contact with therear surface 129 of the first side panel 120. Due to the adhesivematerial 145 on the front surface 148 of the adhesive panel 140, theadhesive panel 140 sticks or otherwise adheres to the first side panel120 and facilitates maintaining the multi-panel display 200 in thefolded state.

In certain embodiments it is desirable that the adhesive material 145 onthe front surface 148 of the adhesive panel 140 is sufficiently strongor adhesive so that the adhesive panel 140 cannot be separated from therear surface 129 of the first side panel 120 without tearing the rearsurface 129 of the first side panel 120. Furthermore, in otherembodiments it is desirable that the adhesive material on the frontsurface 148 of the adhesive panel 140 is sufficiently strong or adhesiveso that upon a user pulling on the header panel 150, the header panel150 will separate from the adhesive panel 140 by tearing along thefourth pre-weakened line 151 and the adhesive panel 140 will remainadhered to the rear surface 129 of the first side panel 120.

In the folded state, the rear surface 129 of the first side panel 120, arear surface 159 of the header panel, a rear surface 149 of the adhesivepanel 140 and a rear surface 139 of the second side panel 130 areexposed. Thus, in the closed state none of the front surfaces 118, 128,138, 148, 158 of the center panel 110, the first side panel 120, thesecond side panel 130, the adhesive panel 140 or the header panel 150are exposed. As a result, the front surfaces of the panels (i.e., thedisplay surfaces) are protected against damage when the multi-paneldisplay device 200 is in the folded state. Thus, maintaining themulti-panel display device 200 in the folded state utilizing theadhesive panel 140 while on the shelves of a store protects the usablesurfaces of the multi-panel display device 200 until their use isdesired by a consumer.

When the multi-panel display 200 is in the folded state, the multi-paneldisplay 200 has a combined maximum thickness T_(D) that equals thethickness of the center panel 110, the third panel 160 and the firstside panel 120. Thus, the thickness T_(D) of the multi-panel display 200in the folded state is between approximately 3/16 inch and 9/16 inch,and more specifically approximately ⅜ inch.

When in the folded state, the first side panel 120 is oriented at anangle Θ₁ relative to the front surface 118 of the center panel 110 andthe second side panel 120 is oriented at an angle Θ₂ relative to thefront surface 118 of the center panel 110. In the folded state, each ofthe angles Θ₁ and Θ₂ are approximately between 0° and 5°.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-4 concurrently, altering or converting themulti-panel display 200 from the folded state to an unfolded state willbe described. As discussed above, in certain embodiments it ispreferable that the adhesive material 145 is of a sufficient tackinessor adhesiveness such that upon pulling on the second side panel 130 toalter the multi-panel display device into the unfolded state, theadhesive panel 140 remains attached to the rear surface 129 of the firstside panel 120 and the header panel 150 separates from the adhesivepanel 130 by tearing at the fourth pre-weakened line 151.

Specifically, upon a user pulling on the second side panel 130 in adirection away from the center panel 110, the sheet of material tears atthe third pre-weakened line 141 thereby separating or breaking away theadhesive panel 140 from the second side panel 130. As a result, thesecond side panel 130 will rotate to an open position about the secondpre-weakened line 131 while the adhesive panel 140 remains adhesivelyattached to the rear surface 129 of the first side panel 120. Next, theuser can tear the header panel 150 from the adhesive panel 140 along thefourth pre-weakened line 151 to completely detach or break away theheader panel 150 from the sheet of material. This configuration isillustrated in FIG. 4 where the adhesive panel 140 remains attached tothe rear surface 129 of the first side panel 120 and the header panel150 is separated from the multi-panel display 200. In this embodiment,the adhesive panel 140 is located adjacent to the first free edge 122 ofthe first side panel 120. Thus, upon tearing the sheet of material ateach of the third and fourth pre-weakened lines 141, 151, the adhesivepanel 140 remains attached to the rear surface 129 of the first sidepanel 120 and the header panel 150 becomes separated from the sheet ofmaterial.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, attachment of the header panel 150 to themulti-panel display 200 to create a fully assembled multi-panel displaywill be described. After the header panel 150 is separated from theremainder of the sheet of material, the first and second side panels120, 130 are made to extend outwardly from the center panel 110 in amanner oblique to a front surface 118 of the center panel 110. Morespecifically, the first and second side panels 120, 130 extend from thecenter panel at an obtuse angle. In the exemplified embodiment, in theunfolded state the first side panel 120 is oriented at an angle Θ₃relative to the front surface 118 of the center panel 110 and the secondside panels 130 is oriented at an angle Θ₄ relative to the front surface118 of the center panel. Each of the angles Θ₃, Θ₄ is betweenapproximately 90° and 180° relative to the front surface 118 of thecenter panel 110. This puts the multi-panel display 200 into anorientation such that the front surfaces 118, 128, 138 of each of thecenter panel 110, the first side panel 120 and the second side panel 130are simultaneously viewable. Furthermore, the adhesive panel 140 remainsattached to the rear surface 129 of the first side panel 120 so that itis out of sight when viewed from the front surfaces such as during apresentation.

After rotating the first and second panels 120, 130 about the first andsecond pre-weakened lines 121, 131 to position the multi-panel display200 into the unfolded state, the header panel 150 is mounted to themulti-panel display 200. Specifically, the header panel 150 is mountedto the first and second side panels 120, 130 so as to extend upward fromtop edges of the first and second side panels 120, 130. Morespecifically, the first side panel 120 has a top edge 124 and the secondside panel 130 has a top edge 134. When the header panel 150 is mountedto the first and second side panels 120, 130, the first slot 155slidably receives the top edge 124 of the first side panel 120 and thesecond slot 156 slidably receives the top edge 134 of the second sidepanel 130. In certain embodiments, the header panel 150 is slid onto thefirst and second side panels 120, 130 until the terminal end 157 of thefirst slot 155 is in contact with the top edge 124 of the first sidepanel 120 and the terminal end 158 of the second slot 156 is in contactwith the top edge 134 of the second side panel 130.

The distance D between the first slot 155 and the second slot 156 isconfigured to ensure that the first and second side panels 120, 130 areoriented at an ideal presentation or display angle relative to thecenter panel 110 when the header panel 150 is mounted to the first andsecond side panels 120, 130. In certain embodiments, this angle may bebetween 15-75°, more preferably between 30-60°, and still morepreferably between 40-50°.

Upon mounting the header panel 150 to the first and second side panels120, 130, the header panel 150 is non-fixedly connected to the first andsecond side panels 120, 130 such that the header panel 150 can berepetitively separated from and reattached to the first and second sidepanels 120, 130 as desired. Thus, by using the blank 100 of the presentinvention the use of a header panel is simplified in that it isintegrally formed with and attached to the other panels of themulti-panel display so that purchasing and carrying around a separateheader panel is not necessary until after the first use. Furthermore, byutilizing the adhesive panel 140, the multi-panel display of the presentinvention remains in the closed state until it is desired to open it foruse.

FIGS. 6-10 illustrate a second embodiment of a blank 100A and amulti-panel display board 200A in accordance with another embodiment ofthe present invention. The blank 100A and the multi-panel display board200A are similar to the blank 100 and the multi-panel display board 200discussed above with reference to FIGS. 1-5 with the exception that thelocation of the adhesive panel 140A and the header panel 150A have beenswapped. Thus, the discussion with regard to FIGS. 1-5 above is equallyapplicable to FIGS. 6-10 and a discussion of similar features will notbe repeated below in the interest of brevity. Features from FIGS. 6-10that are similar to features from FIGS. 1-5 will be similarly numbered,except the suffix “A” will be used. Furthermore, the discussions of thevarious angles, widths, heights, thicknesses and the like made abovewith regard to FIGS. 1-5 are equally applicable to the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 6-10.

The blank 100A comprises a center panel 110A, a first side panel 120A, asecond side panel 130A and a third panel 160A. The third panel 160Acomprises a header panel 150A and an adhesive panel 140A. Thepositioning and attachments between the first side panel 120A, thesecond side panel 130A and the center panel 110A along the first andsecond pre-weakened areas 121A, 131A are the same as that discussedabove with regard to FIG. 1. However, in FIG. 6 the third panel 160A hasa first edge 162A and a second free edge 163A. The header panel 150Acomprises the first edge 162A of the third panel 160A and a second edge153A. Furthermore, the adhesive panel 140A comprises the second freeedge 163A of the third panel 160A and a first edge 142A. The first edge162A of the third panel 160A (and also of the header panel 150A) isattached to the second edge 133A of the second side panel 130A along athird pre-weakened line 141A. Furthermore, the second edge 153A of theheader panel 150A is attached to the first edge 142A of the adhesivepanel 140A along a fourth pre-weakened line 151A. The structure andfunctionality of the first, second, third, and fourth pre-weakened lines121A, 131A, 141A, 151A is the same as discussed above with regard toFIGS. 1-5. Thus, the main difference between the blank 100A and theblank 100 is that the header panel 150A is adjacent to the second sidepanel 130A in the blank 100A.

The first side panel 120A has a width W₁, the center panel 110A has awidth W_(C), the second side panel 130A has a width W₂, the header panel150A has a width W_(H) and the adhesive panel 140A has a width W_(A).The widths of the panels are similar to or the same as that discussedabove with regards to FIGS. 1-5. For the blank 100A, it is preferablethat the equation W₂+W_(H)≧W_(C)−W₁ is met. This ensures that theadhesive panel 140A adheres to the rear surface 129A of the first sidepanel 120A when the blank 100A is used to form a multi-panel display200A in a folded state as discussed below.

Furthermore, in the blank 100A all four corners of each of the panels110A, 120A, 130A, 140A, 150A are rounded corners. Specifically, theattachment lines between the various panels do not extend all the way tothe bottom and top edges of each of the panels. Thus, the panels curveinto the attachment lines (i.e., into the first, second, third andfourth pre-weakened lines), which creates the rounded corners. Again,this reduces the likelihood that the corners will become bent orotherwise damaged during storage and/or use of the blank 100 as amulti-panel display. Thus, rounding the corners of each of the panelsimproves the shelf life of the blank 100 while also adding a superiordesign aesthetic.

The header panel 150A comprises a first slot 155A having a firstterminal end 157A and a second slot 156A having a second terminal end158A. The first and second slots 155A, 156A of the header panel 150A aresimilar to the first and second slots 155, 156 of the header panel 150discussed above. Furthermore, the front surface 148A of the adhesivepanel 140A is at least partially coated with an adhesive material 145Ato facilitate maintaining the blank 100A in a folded or closed statewhen desired. The adhesive material 145A can be any of the adhesivematerials 145 discussed above with regard to the blank 100.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 concurrently, using the blank 100A as amulti-panel display 200A in a folded state will be described. In FIGS. 7and 8, the blank 100A has been folded to form the multi-panel display200A in the folded state. Specifically, the first side panel 120A isfolded over the center panel 110A about the first pre-weakened line121A. The second side panel 120A is folded over the center panel 110Aabout the second pre-weakened line 131A. Upon folding the second sidepanel 120A over the center panel 110A, the third panel 160A includingboth the header panel 150A and the adhesive panel 140A overlies a rearsurface 129A of the first side panel 120A. More specifically, the frontsurface 158A of the header panel 150A and the front surface 148A of theadhesive panel 140A overlie and potentially come into contact with therear surface 129A of the first side panel 120A.

Upon the front surface 148A of the adhesive panel 140A coming intocontact with the rear surface 129A of the first side panel 120A, theadhesive panel 140A adheres to the rear surface 129A of the first sidepanel 120A. Thus, the adhesive panel 140A maintains the multi-paneldisplay 200A in the folded state.

When it is desired to alter the multi-panel display 200A from the foldedstate into the unfolded state, a user will pull on the second side panel130A in a direction away from the center panel 110A, which will causethe second side panel 120A to break away or separate from the thirdpanel 160A (i.e., the header panel 150A) along the third pre-weakenedline 141A. The second side panel 130A is then rotated out relative tothe center panel 110A along the second pre-weakened line 131A to exposethe front surfaces 138A, 118A of the center panel 110A and the secondside panel 130A. At this point, the header panel 150A remains attachedto the adhesive panel 140A along the fourth pre-weakened line 151A andthe adhesive panel 140A remains adhered to the rear surface 129A of thefirst side panel 120A. Thus, next the user will pull on the header panel150A so as cause the header panel 150A to break away or separate fromthe adhesive panel 140A along the fourth pre-weakened line 151A. At thispoint, the header panel 150A is completely separated from the sheet ofmaterial, and the first side panel 120A can be rotated out relative tothe center panel 110A along the first pre-weakened line 121A.Furthermore, at this point the adhesive panel 140A remains adhered tothe rear surface 129A of the first side panel 120A.

FIG. 9 illustrates the multi-panel display 200A after the header panel150A has been removed, the first side panel 120A has been rotated alongthe first pre-weakened line 121A and the second side panel 130A has beenrotated along the second pre-weakened line 131A. As can be seen, theadhesive panel 140A remains adhered to the rear surface 129A of thefirst side panel 120A. In this embodiment, the adhesive panel 140A isadhered to the rear surface 129A of the first side panel 120A at alocation adjacent the first pre-weakened line 121A. Of course, thelocation at which the adhesive panel 140A is adhered to the rear surface129A of the first side panel 120A can be changed depending on thevarious widths panels.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10 concurrently, after the multi-panel displaydevice 200A is altered into the unfolded state, the header panel 150A ismounted onto the first and second side panels 120A, 130A in the samemanner as discussed above with regard to the multi-panel display device200. Specifically, the header panel 150A is mounted to the first sidepanel 120A so that a top edge 124A of the first side panel 120A isreceived within a first slot 155A in the header panel 150A. The headerpanel 150A is mounted to the second side panel 130A so that a top edge134A of the second side panel 130A is received within a second slot 156Ain the header panel 150A. The header panel 150A can be slid onto thefirst and second side panels 120A, 130A until the top edges 124A, 134Aof the first and second side panels 120A, 130A come into contact withthe terminal ends 157A, 158A of the first and second slots 155A, 156A,respectively. This positioning is illustrated in FIG. 10.

Upon mounting the header panel 150A to the first and second side panels120A, 130A, the adhesive panel 140A is hidden behind the header panel150A. Thus, in this embodiment the location of the adhesive panel 140Ais such that it is completely blocked from view by being adhered to therear surface 129A of the first side panel 120A and due to thepositioning of the header panel 150A. The header panel 150A can be usedto both present a title or other information for the multi-panel display200A such as during a presentation and can ensure that the first andsecond side panels 120A, 130A remain oriented at a particularly desiredangle relative to the center panel 110A for optimal viewing.

As used throughout, ranges are used as shorthand for describing each andevery value that is within the range. Any value within the range can beselected as the terminus of the range. While the invention has beendescribed with respect to specific examples including presentlypreferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the artwill appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations ofthe above described systems and techniques. It is to be understood thatother embodiments may be utilized and structural and functionalmodifications may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention. Thus, the spirit and scope of the invention should beconstrued broadly as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A multi-panel display device comprising: a sheetof material comprising: a center panel having a first edge, a secondedge, a top edge, a bottom edge, a height measured between the top andbottom edges of the center panel, and a width W_(C) measured between thefirst and second edges of the center panel; a first side panel having afirst free edge, a second edge, a top edge, a bottom edge, and a heightmeasured between the top and bottom edges of the first side panel, thesecond edge of the first side panel attached to the first edge of thecenter panel along a first pre-weakened line; a second side panel havinga first edge, a second edge, a top edge, a bottom edge, and a heightmeasured between the top and bottom edges of the second side panel, thefirst edge of the second side panel attached to the second edge of thecenter panel along a second pre-weakened line; and a header panel havinga first edge, a second edge, a top edge, a bottom edge, a heightmeasured between the top and bottom edges of the head panel, and a widthW_(H) measured between the first and second edges of the header panel,the first edge of the header panel detachably coupled to the second edgeof the second side panel along a third pre-weakened line, the headerpanel comprising a first slot and a second slot, each of the first andsecond slots extending from one of the first and second edges of theheader panel towards the other of the first and second edges of theheader panel, the first and second slots having a length L_(S) measuredfrom the one of the first and second edges of the header panel to aterminal end of the slots that is less than the width W_(H) of theheader panel, the first and second slots spaced apart by a distance Dthat is greater than the width W_(C) of the center panel; the heights ofthe center panel, the first side panel, the second side panel, and theheader panel being substantially the same so that the top and bottomedges of the center panel, the first side panel, the second side panel,and the header panel are aligned; the sheet of material alterablebetween: (1) a folded state in which: (A) the first side panel is foldedover the center panel about the first pre-weakened line; and (B) thesecond side panel is folded over the center panel about the secondpre-weakened line; and (2) a display state in which: (A) the headerpanel is broken away from the second side panel along the thirdpre-weakened line; (B) the first and second side panels extend in adirection away from a front surface of the center panel; and (C) theheader panel is mounted to the first and second side panels so as toextend upward from the top edges of the first and second side panels. 2.The multi-panel display device of claim 1 wherein L_(S) is between 1.5inches and 3 inches.
 3. The multi-panel display device of claim 1wherein the first and second pre-weakened lines are fold lines andwherein the third pre-weakened line is a perforation line.
 4. Themulti-panel display device of claim 1 wherein the first side panel has awidth W₁ measured between the first free edge and the second edge of thefirst side panel, the second side panel has a width W₂ measured betweenthe first and second edges of the second side panel, and wherein W₁ issubstantially equal to W₂.
 5. The multi-panel display device of claim 4wherein W₂+W_(H)≧W_(C)−W₁, W₁>W_(H), and W₂>W_(H).
 6. The multi-paneldisplay device of claim 1 wherein in the folded state the header panelat least partially overlies a rear surface of the first side panel. 7.The multi-panel display device of claim 1 wherein in the display statethe first and second side panels extend outwardly from the center panelin a manner oblique to the front surface of the center panel.
 8. Amulti-panel display device comprising: a sheet of material comprising: acenter panel having a first edge, a second edge, and a width W_(C)measured between the first and second edges; a first side panel having afirst free edge and a second edge, the second edge of the first sidepanel attached to the first edge of the center panel along a firstpre-weakened line; a second side panel having a first edge and a secondedge, the first edge of the second side panel attached to the secondedge of the center panel along a second pre-weakened line; and a headerpanel having a first edge, a second edge, and a width W_(H) measuredbetween the first and second edges, the first edge of the header paneldetachably coupled to the second edge of the second side panel along athird pre-weakened line; wherein each of the center panel, the firstside panel, the second side panel, and the header panel have the sameheight; the sheet of material alterable between: (1) a folded state inwhich: (A) the first side panel is folded over the center panel aboutthe first pre-weakened line; and (B) the second side panel is foldedover the center panel about the second pre-weakened line; and (2) adisplay state in which: (A) the header panel is broken away from thesecond side panel along the third pre-weakened line; (B) the first andsecond side panels extend in a direction away from a front surface ofthe center panel; and (C) the header panel is mounted to the first andsecond side panels so as to extend upward from top edges of the firstand second side panels.
 9. The multi-panel display device of claim 8wherein the header panel comprises a first slot and a second slot, eachof the first and second slots extending from one of the first and secondedges of the header panel towards the other of the first and secondedges of the header panel, the first and second slots having a lengthL_(S) measured from the one of the first and second edges of the headerpanel to a terminal end of the slots that is less than the width W_(H)of the header panel, the first and second slots spaced apart by adistance D that is greater than the width W_(C) of the center panel, andwherein L_(S) is between 1.5 inches and 3 inches.
 10. The multi-paneldisplay device of claim 8 wherein the first and second pre-weakenedlines are fold lines and wherein the third pre-weakened line is aperforation line.
 11. The multi-panel display device of claim 8 whereinthe first side panel has a width W₁ measured between the first free edgeand the second edge of the first side panel, the second side panel has awidth W₂ measured between the first and second edges of the second sidepanel, and wherein W₁ is substantially equal to W₂, W₁>W_(H), W₂>W_(H),and W₂+W_(H)≧W_(C)−W₁.
 12. A blank for a multi-panel display devicecomprising: a center panel having a first edge and a second edge; afirst side panel having a first free edge and a second edge, the secondedge of the first side panel attached to the first edge of the centerpanel along a first pre-weakened line; a second side panel having afirst edge and a second edge, the first edge of the second side panelattached to the second edge of the center panel along a secondpre-weakened line; and a header panel having a first edge and a secondedge, the first edge of the header panel detachably coupled to thesecond edge of the second side panel along a third pre-weakened line,the header panel comprising a first slot and a second slot, each of thefirst and second slots extending from one of the first and second edgesof the header panel towards the other of the first and second edges ofthe header panel.
 13. The blank of claim 12 wherein the first and secondslots have a length L_(S) measured from the one of the first and secondedges of the header panel to a terminal end of the first and secondslots that is located between the first and second edges of the headerpanel, the length L_(S) being less than a width W_(H) of the headerpanel measured from the first edge of the header panel to the secondedge of the header panel.
 14. The blank of claim 13 wherein L_(S) isbetween 1.5 inches and 3 inches.
 15. The blank of claim 12 wherein thefirst and second slots are spaced apart by a distance D that is greaterthan a width W_(C) of the center panel measured from the first edge ofthe center panel to the second edge of the center panel.
 16. The blankof claim 12 wherein the first and second pre-weakened lines are foldlines and wherein the third pre-weakened line is a perforation line, theheader panel being separable from the second side panel along the thirdpre-weakened line.
 17. The blank of claim 12 wherein the first sidepanel has a width W₁ measured between the first free edge and the secondedge of the first side panel, the second side panel has a width W₂measured between the first and second edges of the second side panel,the center panel has a width W_(C) measured between the first and secondedges of the center panel, and the header panel has a width W_(H)measured between the first and second edges of the header panel, andwherein W₂+W_(H)≧W_(C)−W₁.
 18. The blank of claim 17 wherein when theblank is in a folded state the first side panel is folded over thecenter panel about the first pre-weakened line and the second side panelis folded over the center panel about the second pre-weakened line sothat the header panel overlies a rear surface of the first side panel.19. The blank of claim 17 wherein W₁ is substantially equal to W₂,W₁>W_(H), and W₂>W_(H).
 20. The blank of claim 12 wherein the first sidepanel, the second side panel, the center panel, and the header panelcollectively form an integral sheet of material.